Machine for polishing and grinding the edges of heels for boots and shoes



J. M. THQMPSON 82; G. P. FRENCH. POLISHING AND emrmme THE EDGBS or HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

No 42,629. Patented May 3, 1864.

mwzm ma UNITED STATES PA.T.ENI\OFFICE.

JAMES n rnonrson AND GEORGE r. FRENCH, or STONEHAM-,-ASSIGNORS TO SETH D. TRIPP, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE FOR POLlSHlNG'AND GRINDING THE EDGES 0F HEELS FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. 42,629,.dated May 3, 1864.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES M. THOMPSON and GEORGE P. FRENoH,-residents of Stoneham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful or improved machine for polishing or grinding the edges ofa heel either of a boot or shoe; and we, do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 denotes a top view, Fig. '2 a front elevation, and Fig. 3 a side elevation, of oursaid machine.

' Our invention or improi'ement has reference particularly'to mechanism by which the shoe is held and its heel pressed up to and guided,

with respect to a rotary grinding or polishing wheel.

In the drawings, A denotes a horizontal shaft suitably supported by a standard, B, and being providedwith a driving-pulley, U, a polishing or grinding wheel, D, and a cleaning or bufling wheel E. The wheel D has its grinding-edge formed as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, in order that it may act in the concavity of the periphery of aheel, which, while being ground or polished, is held between and by two rotary'clarnps, F G, which are supported by and so as to be capable of freely rotating in two carriers or holders,'H I, formed as shown in Fig. 2. The longer of these holdersviz., H-is pivoted at bottom within the base of the standard B, andso as to be capable not only of being turned horizontally therein, but of being moved at top in a direction more or less) toward or away from the wheel D. The other holder, I, is a lever provided with an arm or projection, a, and hinged to an arm, 1;, extending fromthe holder H. One of the clamps viz., that marked G-has its journal 0 supported by the arm a, as shown in Fig. 4, which is a verical section of the two clamps and their holders.

The two holders are connected by toggles K K, arranged at the lower end of the holder 1, and provided with a lifting-spring, L, which depends from the arm I), and ishooked into one of the said toggles.

The'other of the toggles has a rod, d, suspended to it, and extends through a foot- ,treadle, M, and being provided atits lower end witha cross-beam or head, 0, against which the treadle is to be borne while being pressed downward. By means of the treadle and the said'toggles the holder I may be moved in one direction on its fulcrum, so as to move its clamp G away fromthe clamp F. The spring L operates to closethe clamps upon a heel when placed between them, as it will be when the shoe of it is arranged with respect to the holder and clamps, as shown at S in Figs. 2 and 4.

The arm I) of the longer holder, H, has a journal,-f, projecting upward from it and entering a bearing formedin a slider, g, which is supported by and so as to be capable of sliding horizontally within a frame, N, projecting from "the standard B, and carrying another set of toggles, O P, one of which is jointed to the said frame, while the other is jointed to 'theslider 9.

To these latter toggles and their supportingframe a spring, It, is applied for lifting the toggles at their junction, and so as to cause the heel of the shoe held by the clamps to be borne against the periphery of thewheel D. These toggles are connected with the treadle M by means of a rod, g.

When the foot of an attendant of the machine is pressed on the treadle so as to force, it downward,.;t-;he set of toggles O P will be put in operation so as to cause the heel to be ground to be borne away from the wheel D.

By still further forcing downward the treadle' the other set of toggles will be moved so as to cause one of the clamps to move away from the other, in order to enable the shoe to be removed from the clamps and another substituted in its place.

With our invention the shoe heel is held up to the grinding or polishing wheel by the action of a spring and toggles, and is moved out of action with the wheel by forcing downward the treadle. During the process of grinding or polishing a heel the attendant not only can trim the heel around in a vertical plane, but, by means of the holders, he can move it (more or less) horizontally, so as to cause the grinding-wheel to hollow the edge of the heel or enter and grind in the concavity thereof, as circumstances may require. After the shoe may have been removed irom the clamps its heel may be subjected to the action of the buffing or cleaning wheel. E, which is-for the purpose 1. The combination of the rotary clamps F G with the turning and vibrating holders H I. v 2. The oscillating frame, as composed of the holders H I,'the actuating-spring L, and the toggles O P, arranged and combined substanfially as specified.

3. The combination of the slider or sliding bearing g, the toggles O P, the spring R, and

"the treadle M.

' 4. The combination consisting. of the r0tary clamps F G, the turning and vibrating holders H], the actuating-spring L, the toggles K K, theslider or sliding bearing g, the operatingto'ggles 0 P, the spring R, and the treadle M, the whole being arranged, constructed, and applied to a grinding or polishing wheel, D, and so as to vcooperate and operate therewith, substantially as specified.

5. The arrangementof the cleansing-wheel E withthe grinding-wheelD, and the-mechanism, as described, for holding, operating, and grindin g the shoe or the heel thereof to be ground.

JAMES M. THOMPSON.- GEO. P. FRENCH.

.Witnesses H. H. FRENCH, GARDNER'TAYLOR. 

